Surgery is the cornerstone of breast cancer treatment and includes breast-conserving surgery, total mastectomy, total mastectomy with preservation of the nipple and areola, mammaplasty, breast reconstruction and axillary lymph node related surgery (individualized according to the patient’s condition and wishes). Breast-conserving surgery is an important advancement in breast surgery, as the name implies, it is a surgical treatment to preserve the breast and its function. Breast-conserving surgery aims to achieve the same survival rate as radical breast cancer surgery through breast-conserving surgery plus adjuvant treatment, but with a good breast shape, improving women’s self-confidence and quality of life. Prevention of postoperative upper limb edema : Surgery in the axilla can disrupt the lymphatic return to the upper limb to varying degrees (axillary lymph node dissection being the most serious), resulting in postoperative upper limb edema. Therefore, do not give fluids, take blood pressure, or draw blood from the upper extremity on this side of the surgery. Do not take a bath in a hot spring or sauna, do not carry heavy objects on this side, and do not do any work that requires the muscles of the arm to exert great effort. This will cause a large amount of blood to flow into the arm, and then the venous blood and lymphatic fluid must be transported out from the blood-filled arm. Upper limb exercise after discharge: After discharge from the hospital, you should continue to insist on functional exercise of the affected limb. Repeated fist clenching, elbow flexion, touching the ipsilateral neck and ear, especially the movement of lifting the upper limb by holding the wall, can make the upper limb and shoulder joint’s range of motion gradually return to normal. The above exercises should be performed 1-3 times a day for 20-30 minutes each time. The above exercises should be performed 1-3 times a day for 30 minutes each time. Be careful to avoid overexertion and to stop gradually and appropriately. Postoperative lifestyle: (1) Fat and high-calorie diet: Excessive fat intake in middle-aged women can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, especially after menopause. The relative risk of breast cancer increases in women who become progressively fatter. (2) Alcohol consumption: Women should promote less alcohol consumption because it can increase the estrogen level in women nearing ovulation by 32%, thus increasing the risk of breast cancer. (3) Smoking: Studies have confirmed that women who start smoking within the first 5 years after menarche have a 70% higher risk of breast cancer than non-smokers, and this is not related to the duration of smoking. Post-operative radiotherapy for breast cancer: Post-operative radiotherapy for breast cancer is a local treatment and is an important part of post-operative treatment for breast cancer, but not all patients need post-operative radiotherapy. Patients who have undergone axillary lymph node dissection and have more than 3 metastatic lymph nodes in the axilla confirmed by pathology. Patients who have undergone axillary lymph node dissection and have pathologically confirmed metastatic axillary lymph nodes less than or equal to 3, but whose tumors are larger than 5 cm, who have positive pathological margins after total mastectomy, who are poorly differentiated or who have vascular thrombosis, also need radiotherapy and require comprehensive judgment by the surgeon. Patients with clinically or pathologically confirmed positive ipsilateral internal breast lymph nodes should be treated with radiotherapy to the lymph nodes in the internal breast area. The timing of radiotherapy should be carried out after chemotherapy is finished. For those who have not undergone chemotherapy, it is advisable to start within 4-6 weeks after surgery, and can be extended to 8 weeks for those who have implants. Chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery: Unlike surgery and radiotherapy, chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that focuses on the whole body and is administered intravenously to kill residual cancer cells throughout the body. Because breast cancer is a local manifestation of a systemic disease, there may already be shed cancer cells in the blood circulation by the time a breast cancer tumor is found. Chemotherapy has an important role in eliminating distant metastasis of breast cancer, preventing recurrence and prolonging life, and is an indispensable and important part of breast cancer treatment methods. Doctors will analyze the patient’s tumor stage, pathological findings and physical condition to decide whether the patient needs to receive chemotherapy or not. Currently, anthracyclines and paclitaxel are the main drugs used. Most of the breast cancers are estrogen-dependent tumors, so most of the patients need to receive 5 years of endocrine therapy, pre-menopausal patients can choose oral tamoxifen, if they are high-risk patients, they can combine with ovarian suppressant drug “Norelide”. Post-menopausal patients should preferably take oral aromatase inhibitors such as exemestane, anastrozole, etc. Oral tamoxifen is also available. How to review after surgery: Generally, you can be discharged from the hospital 3-10 days after surgery, and return to the hospital 14 days after surgery to remove the stitches (depending on the healing of the surgical incision), and in general, you are allowed to take a bath after the stitches are removed and the wound is crusted over, but do not scrub. Breast cancer patients need to be reviewed by a breast surgeon on a regular basis, every 4-6 months for 5 years after surgery, and once a year for 5 years after surgery, with lifelong follow-up. The examination includes palpation of the lymph nodes on the affected and healthy side of the breast, the armpit and the clavicle. Depending on the condition, the patient will also undergo chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound or CT, bone scan, and hematological tests (routine blood, biochemistry, tumor markers, and sex hormones). Based on the results of these tests, the patient will decide whether further examination and treatment is necessary. In addition, patients should be reminded to bring the pathology report after surgery, previous treatment records, CT, X-ray and laboratory reports to each follow-up appointment.